A long Saturday at Nettleton Stadium saw the Chico State baseball team on the verge of being the victim of a doubleheader sweep in its own yard by visiting Fresno Pacific. The Sunbirds had won the first game 3-2 in 12 innings, and had the Wildcats on the ropes in the nightcap, needing just three more outs to secure their second win of the day. Ah, but the power of the walk-off home run certainly cures all ills, and Dom Meza sent the home crown happy by blasting a two-run shot over the left field wall, giving the 'Cats a 10-8 victory a split of the double dip.
With Saturday's late-inning heroics, Chico State took two of three from Fresno Pacific over the weekend to even its season record at 3-3.
The Wildcats piled up 18 hits in the twin bill, with six players enjoying multi-hit days. Jeffrey Ray put three hashmarks in the "H" column Saturday, with Meza, Kaden Bass, Kyle Dobson, Jeremy Keller, and Jacob Jablonski all collecting two hits apiece.
Game 1
The Wildcats led 1-0 into the ninth inning of the opener behind a fabulous home debut from freshman hurler Ethan Lay, but a pinch-hit homer by Jared Aguiar sent the game into extras. The Sunbirds scored a pair in the 12th to take the lead for good. Jeremy Keller's solo homer cut the lead in half in the bottom of the 12th, but the Wildcats stranded the tying and go-ahead runs on base. They stranded 10 in the game.
Lay fired six-and-two-thirds shutout frames and struck out nine in the process. He allowed four hits and surrendered three walks. Fresno Pacific's Garrett Cooper also had a strong start, but the Wildcats opened the scoring in the sixth when Ray singled, stole second, and scored on a double to left center off the bat of Bass.
Game 2
Chico State starting pitcher Justin Tamelier was rocked for a grand slam by Fresno Pacific's Koutarou Matsumaru in the top of the second, and before the inning was over two Wildcat errors led to two more Sunbirds runs. Looking up at an early 6-0 deficit, the 'Cats put up a five-spot in the bottom of the second—a bases-loaded walk to Ray plated Dobson, then a ground-rule double by Bass chased home Jarret Lindsay and Logan Drummond. Cameron Mahaffy followed with an RBI single, and a Fresno Pacific error led to one more 'Cats run to make it a 6-5 ballgame.
Chico State knotted up the contest in the bottom of the third inning when Dobson scored on single by Drummond. The score remained deadlocked until the Sunbirds pushed across a pair of runs in the top of the fifth inning, and though Ray delivered a solo homer in the bottom of the sixth, the Wildcats went into the seventh still down 8-7.
The stage was set for yet another magical late-inning Nettleton Stadium comeback. Jablonski led off the seventh with a single, advanced to second on an error, and scored the tying run on a pinch-hit double by Zach Morris. That brought Meza to the plate, who promptly bombed a no-doubter that easily cleared the left field wall; the two-run walk-off homer giving Chico State the dramatic 10-8 win and the doubleheader split.
The Wildcats take next week off, but will use the time to prepare for their California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) conference opener February 24-26 in Southern California against Cal State San Marcos.
